Wire garment hanger making machine



Dec. 24, 1946. w SCRQGGS WIRE GARMENT HANGER MAKING MACHINE Filed Sept.11, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. WILL/AM A. 56/?06'65 BY Dc. 24,1946. w. A. SCROGGS 2,413,196

WIRE GARMENT HANGER MAKING MACHINE Filed Sept. 11, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2I INVENTOR.

' w/LL/AM A. 80)?0665 Patented Dec. 24, 1946 WIRE GARMENT HANGER MAKINGMACHINE William A. Scroggs, San Diego, Calif. Application September 11,1944, Serial No. 553,516

8 Claims.

My invention relates to a wire garment; hanger making machine and theobjects of my invention are:

First, to provide a machine which will produce wire garment hangers fromstraight lengths of wire of suitable size and character, by hand power,the machine being therefore suitable for use by anyone requiring aconsiderable quantity of hangers;

Second, to provide this machine at reasonable cost and of very simpledesign so that it is very easy to operate;

Third, to produce a machine which will produce a satisfactory hangerfrom a minimum length of wire and without any inherent weakness due toimproper twisting;

Fourth, to provide a machine which will require a minimum of repair andmaintenance and of such sturdy construction that the machine will givelong term satisfactory perform-, ance.

With these and other objects in view as will appear hereinafter, myinvention consists of certain novel features of construction,combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafterdescribed in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims,reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the charactersof reference thereon which form a part of this application in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my invention showing a wire blankproperly inserted into the machine ready for forming, and alsoindicating in dotted lines one position of the hand crank assumed duringthe subsequent forming operation; Fig. 2 is a front elevational view ofmy machine with the hand crank in the position assumed for Wire blankloading; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the left wire bending levertogether with its roller supporting arm and the adjustable stop pins andthe roller carried on said roller supporting arm; Fig. 4 is a sideelevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a top planview of the twister head plunger actuating cam and hand crank assemblywith the hand grip broken away; Fig. 6 is a right side elevational viewof the same structure as shown in Fig. 5; Fig. '7 is a top plan View ofthe base of my machine all moving parts, except the lever actuatingplunger, being removed; and Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of thestructure shown in Fig. -7, the plunger not being sectioned.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portionsthroughout the several views of the drawings:

My machine is supported on a base I which will normally be held in placeby attachment screws passed through the screw holes 2. This base I maybe made with a step portion 3 best shown in Figs. 2 and 7 and referringto Figs. 7 and 8, a boss 4 with an upward extension 4a and. a forwardextension 4b, and at the front end of the base another boss 5 which iscentrally drilled to form a journal indicated at 5a, slotted at the topas at 5b in Figs. 1 and 7, and drilled as at best shown in Figs. 7 and8.

The wire blank 6, Fig. l, is shown inserted in my machine, the two endsthrough the vertical slot 522 and the parts to form the shoulderportions of the hanger are shown bent at the outer ends of the stretcherarms 1 which are pivoted on the base I at their inner ends on pins Ilia.These arms 1 are forced apart to stretch the wire by a pair of links 9which actually engage the wire, levers generally indicated at It] inFig. 1 and the plunger l! slid-ably mounted in the bosses 4 and 5 andforced in a longitudinal direction by cam action when the crank I 2 ismoved from the starting position shown in Fig. 1 to the second positionshown in dotted lines, all as hereinafter described more fully.Simultaneously with this action the forward ends l0?) of the levers Illbeing suitably shaped for the purpose clamp'the wire blank against aforming plate l3 which is rigidly secured to the boss 3 on top of theextension 4a and behind the flange 4b as shown best in Figs. 7 and 8 andin Fig. 1. The plunger ll does not act directly against the levers l0but against rollers llic rotatably mounted by pins llld on arms lllewhich are pivoted to the levers H? as at Hi This structure preventsundue friction and wear of the levers and piston and allows for easyadjustment by means of adjustable stop pins lily, this structure beingshown clearly in Figs. 3 and 4 as well as being indicated in Fig. 1. Asabove stated the plunger II is moved longitudinally to spread the leversl0 and passing between said rollers and lockingthe arms 9 in extendedposition for holding the wire tight when the crank I2 is turned throughdegrees in a horizontal plane about the axis pin l2a since this movementcarries the eccentric mm M pinned to the other end of axispin lZa intoengagement with the forward end of the plunger H, as will be evidentfrom an examination of Figs. 2, 5 and 6. The relation of the cam l withthe plunger H is shownbest in Fig. 2 wherein the plunger. H is shown bydash lines and designated by the broken leader line in connection withthe referencecharof the blank passing acter l l. Coming now to thetwisting of the ends of the wire blank 6, this is accomplished by therotary head generally indicated at in Fig. 1 and shown in more detailedform in Figs. 5 and 6. This rotary head I5 is rotatably mounted in thejournal 5a of the boss 5 being held against movement in the direction ofits axis by a pin tightly inserted in a drilled hole at 50 in Fig. 8,this pin engaging the groove lEb in the rotary head. The drilled recessI50, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6 is made to engage the short endof the wire blank as indicated in Fig. 1 while the long end of the wireblank is manually led around the pin i5d. as clearly shown in Figs. 1and 5. A slot lfie in the rotary head corresponding with the slot 5b inthe forward boss 5 allows the insertion of the ends of the wire blankwhen the crank I2 is in the loading position and centrally located ofthis slot [Be is a smaller slot [5 Fig. 5, which extends through theopposite side of the rotary head and in the position shown in Fig. l,the rotary head being locked by a key I la on the top side of theplunger ll against turning. This key 5 la is forced into the slot 95f bythe manual lever l6 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, this lever being pivoted ona pin Mia and being of sufiicient length to have its handle section lfibregister with the hand grip of the crank 12 when the latter is swunginto the locked position. Finally, the hook I! positionally indicated inFig. 1 and best shown in Figs. 2 and 6 may be integral with the hubsection of the crank l2 and this hook I1, is operative in forming thehook section of the garment hanger. When the crank is moved into theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 this hook I! rides over theprojecting end of the wire blank 6 and when the crank is returned to thestarting position the hook l6 preserves a sliding engagement with thewire bending it around the arcuate forming plate [8 in Figs. 2, 5 and 6which plate It! is integral with the rotary head IS.

The operation of my machine will be clear from the foregoing. With therotary head in locked position one end of the wire blank is inserted inthe drilled recess I50 of the rotary head, the remainder of the wirebeing manually placed between the faces [0b of the levers and theforming plate l3 and at the same time around the ends of the links 9,the long end being led out to the twister head and loosely securedthereto between. the pin PM and the arcuate forming plate E8. The crankis then moved horizontally and the cam M will move the plunger H toforce the levers ID to turn about their axis points Illa bending thewire between the faces lflb of the levers and the forming plate l3 andforcing the links 9 apart so as to stretch the wire blank into thedesired shape. With the shoulder bends completed and this part of thewire blankheld tightly the next step is to turn the rotary head by meansof the crank through two and one-half turns and then return the crank toits original position, the hook I! bending the wire blank end around thearcuate plate l8 and forming the hook of thegarment hanger. As the crankassumes this original position the manual lever I6 is pushed in the samedirection as the final movement of the crank and this looks the rotaryhead in position facilitating the removal of the formed garment hangerand the insertion of the suc-. ceeding wire blank and at the same timerelease the rollers Illc. v

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combinationand arrangement of parts and portions, I do not wish to be limited tothis particular construction, combination and arrangement but desire toinclude in the scope of my invention the construction, combination andarrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure b Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a fixedforming plate, a pair of levers having shaped faces and mounted adjacentsaid plate, a plunger operably mounted to precisely move said leverstoward said plate, roller bearings mounted on said levers to minimizefriction between said levers and said plunger, and a rotary head adaptedto hold the ends said of a wire blank and twist same, and a cam securedto said head adapted to operate said plunger when the cam is rotated.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a fixedforming plate, a pair of levers having shaped faces and mounted adjacentsaid plate, a plunger operably mounted to precisely move said leverstoward said plate, roller bearings mounted on said levers to minimizefriction between said levers and said plunger, and a rotary head adaptedto hold the ends of a wire blank and twist same, a cam secured to saidrotary head adapted to operate said plunger when the cam is rotated, andstretcher arms for forming the shoulder bends in the wire blank andoperated by links remotely operated by said levers.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a fixedforming plate, a pair of levers having shaped faces and mounted adjacentsaid plate, a plunger operably mounted to precisely move said leverstoward said plate, roller bearings mounted on said levers to minimizefriction between said levers and said plunger, rotary head adapted tohold the ends of a wire blank and twist same, a cam secured to said headadapted to operate said plunger when the rotary cam is rotated,stretcher arms for forming the shoulder bends in the wire blank andoperated by links remotely operated by said levers, a keyway in saidrotary head, a key on said plunger and a manual lever to force theplunger away from lever operating position and to insert said key intosaid keyway temporarily locking said rotary head against turning.

4. In a device of the character described, a rotary head having a recessto carry one end of a wire blank, a pin and an arcuate plate toaccommodate therebetween the other or free end of said wire blank, acrank on said rotary head adapted to rotate same thereby twisting thetwo ends of the said wire together, said crank being pivoted on saidrotary head to allow the movement of said crank on a plane parallel tosaid arcuate plate, a hook on the hub section of said crank adapted toengage the said free end of the wire blank when the crank is moved inone direction before the twisting of the wire is commenced and to bendthe saidfree end around arcuate plate when the crank is moved in theopposite direction after the twisting action has been completed.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with arotatably. mounted twister head, of a crank movable on a plane includingthe axis of rotation of said head, said crank having a cam securedthereto engageable with a plunger, levers actuated by saidplunger toextend a pair of arms adapted to form shoulder bends in a wire blank,and a fixed plate positioned so that said wire blank is doubly bent atthe neck portion thereof when portions of said levers move towards saidfixed plate when the levers are operated by said plunger.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with arotatably mounted twister head, of a crank having a cam engageable witha plunger, levers actuated by said plunger to extend a pair of armsadapted to form shoulder bends in a wire blank, and a fixed platepositioned so that said wire blank is bent at the neck portion thereofby portions of said levers when said portions are moved towards saidplate by said plunger.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a rotarytwister head, of a plunger, a key on said plunger, and a lever to movesaid plunger so that said key will enter a keyway in said twister headto temporarily lock the twister head against rotation to facilitate theinsertion of a wire blank and the subsequent removal of a formed garmenthanger.

8. In a wire garment hanger making machine, a supporting base, linkagemeans to stretch a wire blank into the desired shape, a plunger toactuate said linkage, a rotary head to twist the ends of said wire blanktogether, a crank to turn said rotary head, a cam on said crank tooperate said plunger, a key on said plunger to engage said rotary head,a lever to move said plunger so that said key will temporarily lock saidrotary head, a hook on said crank to engage an end of said wire blankand to bend the same around adjacent structure to form a hook in thewire blank, all substantially as described.

WILLIAM A. SCROGGS.

